Every day, every week - as long as it takes

posted by Jobs that Count | 407.80sc
March 04, 2016

The last couple of weeks have seen some victories for Talleys meat workers. The Courts are coming down hard on this company, with judgements against them and fines piling up. But Talley workers know theres a long way to go. And they're not giving up anytime soon.

You would think a couple of scathing Employment Court decisions would make a company pause. But not Talley's. They are seeking leave to appeal two Employment Court decisions won by the NZ Meat Workers Union in recent times : the Full Bench decision in November where AFFCO Talleys was found to have unlawfully locked out workers in an attempt to impose unfair individual agreements, and another in January, where they tried to put the entire union membership on nightshift at Wairoa was found to be unfair are all being contested by the Talley family.

The MWU has multiple actions against Talley's. They have actions against the union, including seeking an order that collective bargaining has concluded. They defend everything, including the indefensible, and seem pathologically unable to accept they might be getting this whole thing wrong.

The MWU members in Talleys meat companies AFFCO and SPM are the only union workers in this company. Talley's have managed to cleanse union involvement over the past couple of decades with their power and money. These MWU workers have guts. What they do, every day, every week is stand up for their whanau, other meat workers and all workers.

Its not easy. It's not career enhancing to be a union member if you work for a Talley's company.

So let's salute the Talley's workers ; join with them ; help them out ; tell them they have your solidarity.